The Fallen
by KennHyrulian
Summary: Love, it may be beautiful and joyful, but just as a  rose has its thorns, so to, does love. Luxanna Crownguard, champion of Demacia had learned that the hard way, and ended in Death. But there is something that many forget. Death is not the end.
1. Chapter 1

Beginning of the End

_Pain…_

The crowds cheered as the prisoner was escorted through the glamorous streets of Demacia. Jeers and items were hurled towards the captive, as the Vanguards roughly shoved her forward, nearly making her fall flat on her face.

_Betrayal…_

Her family looked with disappointment at her. The King, Jarvan III and his son, Jarvan IV stared at her with contempt. Poppy, the Iron Ambassador watched her with distrust. She was no longer loved by the city that she strived to protect.

_Forever alone…_

Her once faithful friend and guardian, Xin Zhao looked upon her with hate, his eyes filled with scorn. If there was anything more than he hated that Noxians, it was traitors. Galio sat from one of the terraces, his eyes watching every action she did, ready to spring into action.

_How did this happen?_

* * *

><p><em>She watched as the Noxian summoner seemingly glided through the chambers to end up in front of her. While she wasn't a small person, the summoner was at least several inches taller, and thus cast a shadow over her.<em>

"_Greetings, lady. I will be your summoner for the next match. Hopefully, we will be able to dominate the Field together and bring our team to victory."_

_Silence followed for several moments, before she replied. "I would prefer you keep your pleasantries to yourself. You are my summoner, my partner for this battle only, as well as a Noxian."_

"…_As you wish…"_

* * *

><p><em>She ran from the gank that involved four of the opposing champions. She started running into the bushes in an attempt to evade them, but they spread out and started to surround the bush before advancing.<em>

"_Prepare to run, my lady." Her summoner whispered. _

_Just as the first champion entered the bushes, she felt the familiar sensation of her decomposing into light and appearing into another spot a short distance away, completely evading the several stuns and slows that would have caught her. _

"_Run!" Almost immediately, she felt her leg muscles start to feel tireless, and she ran at a quick speed towards the safety of a tower._

_Singed, the enemy champion, ran forward and tossed a flying gunk of adhesive, catching her feet and negating the effects of the summoner spell. He ran forward while drinking his Insanity Potion, speeding him up to throw her into his group._

'_Damn! I won't be able to get-'_

"_Trap him in your Light Binding when he's in range of the tower!" The Noxian said, "Then hit him with your Lucent Singularity. Finish it with your Finales Funkeln!"_

_Whirling around, she gather the light in her baton, before launching the attack in a bright flash, blinding Singed and the rest of the champions, freezing them in place. Tossing an orb of light which she had moulded using the other end of the baton, she detonated it, shoving Singed towards her and the tower. Immediately, the tower started firing its ionized beam at him. Throwing her baton in front of Singed's face, it started spinning. Throwing whatever light she could gather into her baton, she unleashed her most devastating spell._

"_Demacia!" She yelled, before the baton fired out the highly volatile energy beam, obliterating the tank, as well as scoring a kill upon Ashe and weakening the rest. At this point, her teammates started to show up and clean up the rest._

_Soraka showed up and started to heal up the wounded light user. "Return to your base, we will start pushing this lane." She said, before walking off to help the rest of her teammates._

"_Good job, my lady." Her summoner whispered._

_Smiling once, Lux returned back to her base… "Nice plan… maybe not all Noxians are this bad."_

* * *

><p>She walked up onto the platform, while the King was on the podium. At this point, the crowd started chanting "Execute the traitor!" over and over again. She could sense the hate emanating from her countrymen.<p>

The King watched her with narrowed eyes. "Fellow Demacians, we are gathered here today to witness the trial of the Lady of Luminosity, Luxanna Crownguard. She has been charged for intermingling and socializing with the despicable Noxians. She has endangered our country by handing out dangerous information about our society and city."

The crowd cheered once more. Funny how the people she had worked to save now wanted her death. She sighed. She knew that she would die today. The Demacian Court Rules stated that. By the Light, she memorized during her years at the academy before going on infiltration missions.

But she wouldn't regret it. Meeting _him_. It was the best months that she had ever had in her entire life.

* * *

><p><em>They had completely dominated the match. Nothing stood in their way. With the Noxian and Lux's strategy, as well as the cooperation with the other champions and summoners, they kept moving forward and destroying their lanes.<em>

_Just as they finished off the last Nexus turret, the enemy team formed up for a final push, and surprisingly massacred the rest of the team, Soraka being focus-fired first before the rest of the team fell. Once again, the Noxian Summoner provided a strategic Bird's Eye view, and instructing Lux on dodging and abusing the line of sight, and she managed to pick off the enemies, one by one, distracting them while the super minions pounded on their nexus. The game ended in a victory for them, and not one single death for her. It was a great and entertaining game._

_From there, the two individuals started a rough friendship, which slowly, but surely, started to become something more. Derrik was a Noxian who was a student in military tactics and warfare, but when the League was introduced, he was asked and readily agreed to join the League as a summoner. He was also against the idea of a hostile confront between Noxus and Demacia. The two would spend evenings discussing several topics, and Lux had to admit, Noxians weren't all that bad. _

_Eventually, they fell in love with each other, but their relationship had to be kept secret, due to the increasing hostilities between their factions. They would meet at night and share moonlit kisses, something which Lux felt was cliché, but at the same time enjoyed. She felt the adrenaline and thrill of doing something that went against the rules she was brought up with. Something that Derrik regularly commented on Lux being 'un-ladylike', but admitted it was one of the many features that appealed._

_Lux felt that her life was at the best as it could be. However, things started to begin its downward spiral. They were enjoying a picnic once, in a field about an hour away from the League. However, it just so happens that a summoner who returned from a short vacation saw Lux and Derrik. The summoner, however, was jealous of Lux, since she had always had affection for Derrik. Out of spite, she reported this to Jarvan IV, which in turn led to the arrest of both Derrik and Lux for 'affiliation' with the enemy forces. This naturally led to increasing hostilities between both factions, and the war in Kalamanda broke out._

_Thousands of soldiers died before the League interfered, putting everyone in a stasis, preventing them from moving. The King had been outraged with the loss, and blamed Lux for giving information resulting in the deaths of good men. Logically, there was no link between Lux and the fight, but the Demacians demanded blood for retribution. And so, Lux was brought out of the dungeons for trial._

_She had no idea what happened to Derrik, but she heard rumours that he had been forgiven, by Katarina du Couteau, no less. Unfortunately, that would not happen to her. _

* * *

><p>Lux knew that there was no way she could survive. Her baton had been burned, and she was chained. Any attempts of freedom were now out of her grasps. But inside, she smiled. She had experienced what true love was before her death.<p>

"Luxanna Crownguard, for affiliating with the enemy, you are hereby charged with death!" The King boomed out. "Your status and rank has been stripped, all your possessions are forfeit. You are to be executed by Garen Crownguard, the Might of Demacia."

Lux looked at her brother, and she was surprised by what she saw. Instead of the stone-cold poker face, Garen's eyes seemed to be filled with sorrow and regret.

She was shoved roughly to the executor's stone, and her head lay on the block, as she watched Garen walk slowly to her, dragging his sword behind him. He raised his sword above his head, his eyes still watching hers.

"Forgive me, sister…" Garen croaked out.

"Always... always, brother…" Lux whispered, before she closed her eyes one last time, as Garen brought his sword down.

The crowd cheered as they saw Lux's head fall and her body fall limp. Garen was still in his pose, his hands shaking as his tears fell silently. He quickly sheathed his sword and was about to leave, when something unexpected happened. The crowd fell silent, and Lux's body and head started to glow white, before it started to disintegrate into the air. The sun suddenly went black, as the clouds started to flow in from all directions, covering Demacia into darkness. Thunder roared, and the winds started to whip everything that wasn't secured. Chaos was everywhere; even the King didn't know what to do.

_**Freljord**_

Ashe watched from her window as the distant city of Demacia started to darken. Clouds had surrounded Demacia, and _only_ Demacia. She had heard rumours of Lux being executed, and when she had gone to plead her case, she was denied entrance as it was the _internal affairs _of Demacia. Tryndamere walked up beside her and frowned as he saw the once glorious city of Demacia plunge into darkness, literally.

"Should I feel no remorse for them? Should I feel pleased?" Ashe asked her husband.

"They do not deserve mercy. Not since they executed one for simply loving another." He replied, before retreating from the window.

Ashe let a small bead of tear fall from her eyes and onto her cheeks, where they froze in the cold Freljordian air. "Rest in peace, Lux…"

_**Noxus**_

Katarina and Swain sat in a room with an orb watching the events in Demacia. They were disgusted of how the Demacians treated one of their own champions, simply because she had loved a Noxian. Lux was probably the only one who had befriended many of the Noxian champions with her bright smile, and happy-go-lucky attitude. Her cheerful image actually amused and brightened up many of the other champions. Now, she was gone forever.

When Derrik had heard of how Lux was to be executed and he was to be spared, he had begged for death, so that he could live in the afterlife with her. Unfortunately, he was denied. In despair, he asked Swain, the head of the Noxian forces, to wipe his mind of memories of Lux, to avoid regret and sorrow. Derrik then left the League and joined the Noxian Military Council as a strategist.

Although Noxus held a hostile relationship with Demacia, Lux was one of the only Demacians respected and allowed entry into the dark citadel. Her mere presence brought a light to their dull lives. Her death was mourned by many of the citizens and champions.

Swain watched amused as Demacia, the once shining city, fell into the darkness as Lux's head disintegrated and merged with the light. Clouds swirled in from every direction, and thunder rumbled in the background.

He turned his head to his right, to see Katarina's eyes starting to water up slightly. Lux had been one of Katarina's first actual friend, since no one had ever dared to interact with the Sinister Blade of Noxus.

He sighed and returned his attention to the orb, before a soldier entered the room. "My lord, Mordekaiser has been reported leaving from the slums several days ago. The champion had killed several Noxian soldiers and citizens while he was leaving, as well as destroyed several buildings on the Western Side before walking through the walls. We merely dismissed it as him being insane, but he had stolen an artifact from the Vault. A storage orb, to be precise."

Swain raised an eyebrow. The Master of Metal had always enjoyed stalking and killing those in the slums for no apparent reason, but for him to leave and take an artifact for no reason at all was very unlike him. "Let him go for now."

The soldier paused for a second, before saluting and leaving. Katarina was still staring at the orb. Her eyes hardened before she pulled out a dagger and stabbed the orb, and threw it against the wall with enough force that it broke into pieces and the magical residue flew through the air. Her face contorted into rage. "Damned Demacians." She growled. "I'll hunt down every damned one if I have to avenge Lux…"

Swain sighed again.

**The League of Legends**

The champions and summoners had watched the execution of Luxanna Crownguard with a spell that turned the Mist into a picture of the events happening in Demacia. They were shocked, at the very least, and angry at the death of the Lady of Luminosity. To think that the happy girl that brought out a smile on everyone's faces was now forever gone.

Nidalee snarled, before shifting into her cougar form and leaving the room. Many other champions did the same thing, signifying their dislike of what just happened. One by one, they left the room, all with the same thought. They _hated_ Demacia.

* * *

><p>A rather large man with a hooded cloak left the Demacian city with an Orb, with a spiked mace over his shoulder, walking at a slow but steady pace. He cradled the artifact like a newborn baby, making sure not to jostle it too much.<p>

Watching over his shoulder, he deemed the Demacian city now far enough, and shed his cloak, revealing his entire body covered in metal armours. He growled in the direction of the city before returning his focus onto his path, which surprisingly led away from Noxus, where he had resided, and through the Great Barrier. Towards Urtistan, the ruined city.


	2. Chapter 2

Lilac-coloured eyes shot up as her chest heaved up and down, inhaling the precious air that she thought she would have never received again. Perspiration dripped down from her brows, the salty liquid blurring her vision.

"_Where am I?"_

She tried to shift her right arm to rub her eyes but pain screamed through the limb, making her gasp in shock as her body tensed. She squeezed her eyes in her instinctual response and tried to curl up in a ball, whimpering as the pain spread from her arms to her entire body.

"You may not want to move, Sorceress. The fusing of a body and a soul takes a toll upon both the caster and the receiver."

The baritone voice echoed within her mind. It was the voice that silenced even her cheery and outgoing personality in the battlefield, whether it was as an ally or as an enemy. More than once, that voice was the last thing she had heard when faced against the armored behemoth before the spiked mace slammed into her body.

Mordekaiser, the Master of Metal was one of the most feared champions within the League. Towering over many other champions, Mordekaiser could easily intimidate many others into silence. While his residence was at Noxus, he was never summoned to fight for Noxus, simply because of the fact that Mordekaiser did not participate in petty affairs of the mortals. Even then, only the most experienced of summoners were allowed to guide Mordekaiser within a battle.

Mordekaiser's only reason to fight in the League was because of his desire for to spread pain, sickness and torment without any punishment. Or at least, that was what everyone thought. His real reason was never known, but whatever battle that Mordekaiser had entered into, suffering and pain followed in his wake.

His simple presence would have already cowered many of the champions into passiveness, and with his spiked mace and powers over metal and his unique ability to steal the souls of champions temporarily, even the strongest and courageous champions would have second thoughts of engaging Mordekaiser by themselves. His mace would crush the sturdiest of armour and his metallic powers would rip through any object. Metal shrapnel would fly around him as he pushed forward, his weapon slamming into enemies left and right with no sign of fatigue as time passed. If given the opportunity, his ability to destroy an opponent increased to the point of being able to stand alone against an entire team.

This was only but a few reasons why Mordekaiser was such a menacing figure, both literally and figuratively to his colleagues. But now, sitting near the foot of the bed where she was laying upon, his normally intimidating figure seemed more subdued and passive than what Lux was used to.

But still, that did not mean that she wasn't nervous. She was frightened out of her wits, and was in one of the worst situations that she felt she could be in; her body useless, no escape path in sight, her magic currently denied to her and an unpredictable figure nearby while she was helpless. One of the foremost rules taught to Lux while she was training to be a light mage in the role of a spy was to never get caught, and to always have her baton with her. The tortures and pain that the enemy could inflict upon her were endless, and Lux, in only a few seconds, could remember all the old stories of Demacian spies who were caught by Noxian forces.

None of them came back without losing their eyes, tongues and several limbs.

Her heartbeat escalated, and her eyes widened in panic as she started to hyperventilate. She turned her head in an attempt to find possible escape paths, but almost immediately the pain reminded her of its presence as the fire spread to unbelievable amounts. This time, she was unable to stop her gasp of pain.

"Calm yourself, girl. I have no aggressive notions against you. If I had, I would not have gone through the tedious efforts of retrieving your corpse and soul."

Lux froze. _'What…?'_

She slowly turned her vision towards Mordekaiser, studying his body language in an attempt to make some sense of this abnormal moment. In return, Mordekaiser's eyes stared back directly into her eyes, his red orbs piercing her body as they stared unflinchingly.

Naturally, Lux was the first to turn her head away.

"What happened? Why am I here?" She asked timidly.

Several tense seconds passed as Mordekaiser seemed unresponsive to Lux's question as he continued staring at her. Finally, after a moment, which was agonizing to Lux, he spoke.

"As you know, you were executed publicly in front of the Demacians. I stole your soul the moment before you died, and I collected your corpse as it fell into two separate parts, and walked through the gates while everyone was screaming in fear.

Lux's eyes widened, as she stared in shock at Mordekaiser.

"What?" She spoke breathlessly. "Why?"

Mordekaiser sighed. "Perhaps it would be better if I simply showed you what happened."

Mordekaiser extended his gauntleted hand, adorned with spikes and images of skulls and death, towards Lux's head. Naturally, Lux reacted. Violently.

She scrambled backwards towards the other side of the bed, her adrenaline barely managing to pierce through the veil of pain she had experienced early ago. But her body, still weakened, was not able to adjust to its regular speed. The last thing Lux saw was the black gauntlet closed around her face.

* * *

><p><em>He strode across the League of Legends' dimly lit hallways as he headed towards the exiting portal to Noxus, his metal plated boots creating a dull war drum as he moved. Summoners, champions and anything capable of moving upon its own quickly stepped out of the way and hugged the walls as the most heavily armored being moved pass them. His aura of disease, sickness and maladies was weakened slightly both in and out of battle within the League headquarters, ensuring that there would be no casualties by those who simply walked past, but they could still feel the deathly caress of affliction as the huge being passed them.<em>

_Mordekaiser gave no thoughts to the cowering or fearful 'colleagues' of his as he continued onwards. He had long since grown past the pathetic emotions of mortals with his centuries of experience. He had lived through the many ages as civilization rose and fell. He had forged his path in each new world as a hero, a villain and almost any other role possible that involved fighting within his existence. _

_Even Zilean was not as old as him; to Mordekaiser, Zilean was but an infant. When Zilean had first saw Mordekaiser several decades ago, Zilean had seen Mordekaiser's past and future, and Mordekaiser was forced to curse him with insanity in order to keep his actions and identity a secret. Now, Zilean remains as a trapped shred of consciousness inside his body as the insanity corrupted several other parts of his mind and body._

_Mordekaiser did what he must. Unfortunately no one knew his purpose, and Mordekaiser was satisfied that way. It wouldn't do for all the beings within this world to group up and destroy him. After all, one cannot steal and summon over tens of thousands souls to fight for him. It was an incredibly mentally painful task in managing that many souls._

_The door to the exiting portals opened as Mordekaiser approached. Each portal was put several distances away from each other, and the paths led to each separate one. What was noticeable about the room was that there were over ten Golems protecting each path. And it was not the size of the pathetic golems that were present within the jungle of the Summoner's Rift and Twisted Treeline battlegrounds. These were almost five times as tall as Mordekaiser, wielding deadly weapons such as longswords, spears and other various items. The red shard embedded into their wrists and chest glowed dimly as they kept a constant surveillance; they may have been rocks, but they were capable of conscious thought. They were quite similar to Malphite and the Monolith that he was reported to have been a part of. In fact, Malphite usually spent most of his time in this room near his brethren; not communicating in either way, just sitting down and acknowledging each other._

_Mordekaiser slowly nodded his head in acknowledgment to one of the Golems before heading to his appropriate path to the slums of Noxus. Just as he was about to step in the portal, several Demacian Vanguard marched out of their respective portal, shields held ready in their off hand, armor shining pristinely, with their sheathed weapons and flag as perfect as ever._

_Intrigued, Mordekaiser watched as the summoners in charge of the portals walked towards the Demacian contingent. The commander quickly unfurled a scroll and handed it the summoners before moving forward, the Vanguard never stopping. _

_Not long after their arrival they returned to the Room of Portals, dragging a bound and gagged prisoner with the face covered. The Golems shifted upwards and readied themselves for conflict before the previous summoners who had received the scroll told them to stand down. Once again the Vanguard continued to march forward, showing no hesitation in their cold eyes._

_Mordekaiser had continued to watch as the events occurred, and as the final Demacian entered the portal Mordekaiser walked to the summoner with the scroll. She gasped loudly as she noticed Mordekaiser's hellfire eyes bored into hers. _

"_Lord Mordekaiser! We did not expect you here. We will quickly set up the portal back to Noxus so you-"_

_She was interrupted when Mordekaiser pointed at the scroll._

"_Give that to me. My curiosity has been aroused and I will not be denied the satisfaction of crushing it."_

_She gulped as she reverently handed Mordekaiser the scroll, before quickly scooting back into the safety of the other summoners, who had created a larger berth around them._

"_Set up the portal to Noxus. And make it quick." Mordekaiser rumbled. The summoners quickly complied, nearly scrambling over each other to feed and manipulate magic into the Portal Core and enlarging it for Mordekaiser._

_He had then left without a single word._

* * *

><p>Luxanna gasped as her mind rebelled against the vision that was placed on her. Her eyes shot open again as she attempted to find Mordekaiser. He was still sitting next to the bed, eyeing her as how a father would watch over a child.<p>

"I am impressed. Not many would have had the ability to break free of visions. Even the most intelligent scholars and magicians to the strongest of men would have had a very low chance. To see you break it so soon is quite astonishing."

"What was that?" She demanded, before lowering her tone as she remembered who she was talking to.

"That was a vision that I implanted upon your mind when you asked me to show you what happened.

She attempted a glare but her curiosity overrode her anger.

"What kind of vision was that? I felt like I was in your shoes, I could feel the weight of your armour, and your callousness to the other summoners, and-"

"That was a branch of magic that has been forgotten a long, long time ago."

"But that's impossible! I am sure that someone would have been able to remember that type of magic if it was so effective."

"How old am I, Luxanna?"

Her mouth clamped shut as she pondered. "I would put you as a man around the age of thirty, but judging by how you treat others as idiotic children and beneath you, I would put you close to fifty, perhaps-"

"I am over fifteen-thousand years old, Luxanna."

Luxanna's mind decided to promptly shut down as his words entered her mind.

"A long time ago, when I was still a naive mortal, I stumbled upon an artifact in the hopes I could save my friends and families from an evil. The artifact granted me the strength to destroy my enemy and protect my village. But in return I was cursed with the greatest thing I feared. Loneliness. I could never embrace my children and my lover without plaguing them with every known pestilence. I would never walk near the forests and creatures around me without their lives ending, their bodies rotting away as they blackened. I was cursed with living forever, by myself."

Mordekaiser's eyes had begun to dim, holding a glint akin to... grief? A small tear slipped out of his helmet and slid down his breastplate.

"And so I distanced myself from my family after the battle. They never saw me again, and I was assumed dead; fallen in battle. Through the many centuries I watched my ancestors from afar, taking care of anyone who threatened them. Aiding them from the shadows. Until one day, only a few centuries after my assumed death, they were all destroyed. Obliterated. They were attacked in a reunion by a rival family and a band of mercenaries."

His eyes had shown bright again, almost blindingly white. She could feel the enmity flowing out of his body.

"So I destroyed them. But not quickly. I made them suffer the worst disease known to men, one that brings pain everyday and lasts until their death. I relished in their cries of pain as they lay upon the blood of my family. I laughed as they were crawled into their homes, calling for doctors to aid them. And I spat on their bodies as they slew themselves with whatever they had next to them when their pain became too much."

"But after my act of revenge, I had nothing else to do. And in time I grew bored. And so I began to take part in mortal affairs. Often as an advisor who watched things from behind. Sometimes as an assassin to eliminate the important individuals, and watch the consequences occur afterwards. The world was a plaything for me, a sandbox in which I can meddle with to satisfy my curiosity."

"And then I discovered how to manipulate metal. I managed to contain my curse by covering all inches of my skin. I could manipulate and use metal as my weapon. And so I began to take an even larger role in mortal affairs. I would destroy civilization after civilization, conquering the world and becoming the master of all. And once I left and my rule had faded, when people have forgotten of me, when humanity has begun to flourish again, I would come again."

"This continued through the many centuries until finally I grew bored as playing the hero or the villain. I started to simply stay at the sidelines until I grew bored. And so for the past millennium I have simply waited. Watching. Until one night, I saw the avatar of my curse. He was like me, but much unlike me. And what he told me was one of my favorite moments ever."

"He told me that it will end soon. My life. I was so happy. I could finally leave and be with my family. And so I have looked for far my next possible heir."

Mordekaiser shifted his eyes towards Luxanna.

"You."

She fainted.

* * *

><p>"This is the artifact that gave me this power. I have chosen you to become the next wielder." Mordekaiser rumbled as he dropped his mace onto the ground.<p>

Her eyes followed it as the spikes embedded themselves deeply into the ground. "So I have to carry that?"

The mace was easily double her size.

Mordekaiser shook his head. "The artifact shifts into a weapon that is most favourable of your body and combat prowess. I was known as a brawler, or 'tank', as you would term it if you were to classify it in the League slang prior to my possession of the artifact. Thus the artifact transformed into this."

She nodded weakly.

"I will give this weapon to you after you have risen from your den. Come meet me outside once you have readied yourself."

She continued to watch as Mordekaiser easily dragged the mace on the ground, the spikes easily ripping through the floor and creating trenches behind him. For some reason Mordekaiser looked more... tired? He was hunched over as he pulled his weapon along, and a small raspy sound could be frequently heard.

The door closed behind Mordekaiser, and Luxanna was left to her thoughts again. That artifact that Mordekaiser spoke so fondly of both intrigued and frightened her. Mordekaiser's fear of loneliness had resulted in his powers of pestilence and affliction. What would result when she took it up?

She shook her head again. '_No time for having second thoughts now. You agreed to let him finally have rest... But what happens when I become... no. Do not think of that. You cannot back out now and destroy his hopes again..._'

Hesitantly, Lux removed the covers that draped over her weak body. She was still wearing her old battle garments, and she wrinkled her nose as she noticed the blood over her upper body. Grasping onto the bedpost, she moved her legs onto the floor and slowly stood. After several seconds of watching her legs for any sign of betrayal, she gave a small smirk of accomplishment. '_At least my body is more responsive now._'

Moving more confidently she strode across to where the door was. She peeked outside and found herself in a hallway, the drapes torn and the windows shattered. The rug that lay upon the floor was burnt and rotting. Noticing the trenches that were most likely left behind by Mordekaiser's weapon she headed in that direction.

She found him at the entrance of the mansion. She watched as a heavy storm draped across the apocalyptic city. Every building she could see was ravaged and destroyed. What caught her eye was the large tower that seemed to be at the center of the city. She looked questioningly at Mordekaiser.

"Where are we?"

"We are among the ruins of Urtistan, one of the greatest and most advanced civilizations before it was lost in battle."

"Urtistan. Is that not where Zilean claims to have originated from?"

"Yes. He was once the greatest sorcerer in his time and was the proud archmage of his city. In his foolish attempts at divining the future he had failed to protect his city when he succumbed into a self-induced coma. Once he woke he travelled the world and met... me. He was a possible threat and so I drove him to insanity."

She flinched slightly but stood her ground. "I see."

"And now that your curiosity has been satisfied for now..." He dropped the mace onto the ground. "It is done. I have fulfilled my bargain."

Luxanna looked confused as Mordekaiser seemingly spoke to the mace. "... um... Mordekaiser? What are you-"

The mace suddenly decomposed itself, becoming a metallic goo, startling Lux as it dissolved. The metallic substance shifted and expanded until it grew to the height of an average human. Luxanna watched as the substance started to shape into a feminine shape. Strands of metallic hair extended from what could be assumed as the head, and the facial features began to show. The nose and the ears extended from the head and a mouth formed. Her eyelids blinked and Luxanna saw pure white orbs underneath them.

"So you are my next possessor." The artifact spoke in a voice that was eerily similar to her voice.

Luxanna mutely nodded, still shocked by the sudden change.

Mordekaiser suddenly pressed forward. "Remember our deal. You are to free me from your binds. Now, free me!" He roared at the artifact.

"Yes, yes, you finally finished your agreement, now you are free." She yawned as she dismissively waved her hand in the general direction of Mordekaiser. Luxanna yelped as Mordekaiser instantly collapsed onto the ground, writhing in pain, his body and armour decomposing until soon there was nothing left.

"What did you do to him?" Luxanna yelled as she started to back away from the artifact.

"I merely ended my contract with him." The artifact coldly stated, matching every step that Luxanna made with her own steps forward. "A good thing too. He was starting to bore me"

Luxanna felt her back hit the wall behind her. "But... but... he..."

"Now enough about him. He's gone now. I want to know about **you**." The artifact seemed much more threatening as she cornered Luxanna.

Luxanna could feel her own breath as the artifact's body trapped her in such close proximity. The artifact's breasts pushed against her own as she tried to escape to the sides, but the artifact's arms trapped her in the same spot. "Now. Let me **see**." The pure white orbs suddenly turned into a haunting red colour, trapping Luxanna's eyes into them.

She could feel the mental intrusion into her mind, the ceaseless onslaught upon her mental defenses. Crying out she tried to push away but the red eyes continued to capture her own. The pain that occurred as the many barriers fell to the attack was unbearable until finally the attack reached into her memories.

She stood there as she relived everything she had done in her whole life. Her first friend leaving her. Her father beating her for her failures, as the mother watched coldly. Her first display of Light Magic. Her forced induction into the College of Magic. Her first assassination. Her with Derrik. Their capture. Her execution. Everything that she did was relived and in the end she broke down crying as her mental walls that kept her hidden secrets away from her public appearance was destroyed.

Finally the pain stopped, and the artifact stepped away. She collapsed onto the ground hugging herself into a fetal position, her body shaking with exhaustion and pain. "Awww, don't worry little one. I'm sure I didn't hurt you that much."

She didn't dare to raise her eyes to meet the artifact, but the soft touch of the artifact's finger raised her face. The red orbs were now replaced with a soft white colour, and she felt drawn to them.

"What... what do you want with me...?" Luxanna softly whispered, her voice slightly hindered with tears.

"Me? I don't really need anything of you. I just want something to satisfy my boredom. The question is, what do _you_ want of _me_.

Luxanna shook her head. "I... I don't want anything."

"Yes you do... Remember, I know everything of you. Now come on, you're not stupid. Answer the question."

She kept shaking her head. "Nothing... nothing."

The artifact seemed to sigh with exasperation. "Fine then. I guess I'll just have to start this off." Gripping Luxanna's head with both hands the artifact forced her to look into her eyes.

"Let's look at you shall we? You are Luxanna Crownguard, proud representative of the Demacians in the League of Legends. You are a member of the Six Noble Families of Demacia. You are known as the Lady of Luminosity, the role-model that all little girls look up to. You are the virtuous, the sinless, the perfect, the one who can never do any wrong. You are the light that parts the darkness when things begin to go wrong."

"But behind all this, you are nothing more but a lonely girl wishing to be seen for who she really is, the one who you really want to be. You are a girl who strives for true love and attention, one who will see past all your ranks and actions. You wish to be free, to do actions that are a result of your own desires. And the first time you do so is with your former love, Derrik. You had the time of your life. For once you could confide with another, you could be yourself. Your true personality rose from its hidden depths."

"But then like always it ended. You remember it all too well, don't you? And do you know who always ends it? Demacia. Always it is them who stop you from being yourself. Endlessly day after day you are forced to becoming the perfect image that Demacia has made for you. From the day you were born your sense of individuality was stripped and broken into pieces. Remember your first friend you've ever known? Alyss, was it not?"

Luxanna began to struggle, but the hard clamps of the artifact's hands stopped her. "Please... please stop..."

"Yes, it was Alyss. She was the one who betrayed you when you tried to nurture a family of mice. You were so happy during those few days when you were helping them, bringing them scraps and creating a home for the mice. You showed it to Alyss, didn't you? And she ran off and betrayed you to your family. That was the first time you were beaten weren't you? And you were only four."

Luxanna's tears began to run anew as she remembered her former friend. She admitted that when that had happened she felt a pain that ripped into her heart. Why would friends hurt each other? Later she would have found out that Alyss was nothing more than a person sent to watch her actions. Her family would not have wanted a Crownguard that represented them poorly.

"And then the time that you finally discovered your magic. You were elated when you showed it to your parents. You felt so happy that your parents will actually love you for who you are, and not what they want you to be. They certainly paid more attention to you after that. But instead of cherishing you with praises and affection, then instantly sent you off into an academy. Your family did not care for who you are, they only cared for their own rank. They never loved you."

Tears flowed freely from her eyes again. When she had told her parents of her Light magic she was so naive and innocent that she thought her parents would finally begin to love her. But they had subjected her to an academy in which the students were almost a decade older than her. Continuously ridiculed and harassed by both the students and the teachers, she could say that the academy was one of the worst moments of her life. Her parents had paid no mind to her pleas. They had not cared.

"And then, there is Derrik." The artifact spoke softly.

"Stop... Stop, now!" Luxanna roared at the artifact.

The artifact continued nevertheless. "He was the one who actually gave you what you so desired... Attention. Care. Love. He did not care about your image. He cared about the little girl that was forced to grow up so fast. He made you happy. He made life worth living. And then it was taken away again. And by the _Demacians_ too."

"So. Do you know what you want now?" The artifact cooed.

"Revenge. I want revenge!" Luxanna yelled.

"Good. Good. And now, here is my offer. I will be your guide and weapon that will show the way to your goal. Just like how I did it with Mordekaiser. I gave him the power to protect his family. I gave him the power to fulfill his goal. And now, I will be your power that will fulfill your goal. What do you offer?"

"Anything. Anything as long as I can complete my goal. I will sacrifice my life itself and everything precious just to bring the downfall of Demacia." Luxanna growled out. Her eyes had started to shift from its mysterious lilac colour into red, her eyes glinting with madness.

The artifact smiled evilly, its visage darkening. "Then let's get to work, shall we?" It offered its hand out to her, and she willingly grabbed it. She was filled with pain again as the artifact dissolved into a metallic substance once again, and covered her entire body. But she was no longer afraid. Too long had she been stepped on over and over again by others with more power. But soon, she will be stronger. And they will suffer for what they've done.

"**We are the shadows that haunt the light."**

She emerged from the cocoon as the substance dissolved into her. Her eyes opened to reveal a startling red colour. From her hand a scythe emerged, extending to over six feet in length, a full head above her height, and its blade pristine and deadly. She swung it back and forth, and watched as the shadows in the room followed it. Her armour had shifted from its original garments into a dark, form-fitting plate armour, covered entirely in shades of black and red. Her face was shaded with a hood that covered her head, her visage hidden with the shadows that formed. Nothing could be seen except for the cruel red orbs.

"**We are the ones who will shroud the world into darkness."**

She exited the building that she was in. She grinned as she observed everything around her. An aura of darkness streamed from her body and covered the entire city of Urtistan. And as she did so, she began to laugh. A haunting laughter that echoed throughout the darkness. A laughter that spoke of madness. Of anger. Of revenge.

"**We are Naxul. The Vanguard of Darkness."**


End file.
